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1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.1https://www.vipre.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/cropped-v-shield-blue-1-32x32.jpgVIPRE for Home – VIPREhttps://www.vipre.com
3232Facebook Copy & Paste Quizzes: Fun or Folly?https://www.vipre.com/blog/facebook-copy-paste-quizzes-fun-folly/
https://www.vipre.com/blog/facebook-copy-paste-quizzes-fun-folly/#respondTue, 19 Feb 2019 17:11:53 +0000http://www.vipre.com/?p=4038Without a doubt you’ve seen the topic of this post. I’m of course speaking of the “Tag a Friend” surveys and quizzes that have been floating around Facebook with little tidbits of you and your friend’s personal information being shared in a fun way amongst friends. However, have you ever stopped and thought about how […]

]]>Without a doubt you’ve seen the topic of this post. I’m of course speaking of the “Tag a Friend” surveys and quizzes that have been floating around Facebook with little tidbits of you and your friend’s personal information being shared in a fun way amongst friends. However, have you ever stopped and thought about how this information could possibly be used? Have any of these questions ever seemed too familiar?

Let’s take a quick look at one of these “quizzes”:

“Alright…this is going to get personal…you ready? Answer honestly, then tag five other people who must answer this quiz next!”

If you were caught cheating would you fess up?

When was the last time you felt honestly broken?

Are you craving something?

If you could have one thing right now what would it be?

Would you rather have ten kids or none?

What do you hear right now?

Is your bed against more than one of your walls?

What is on your mind right now?

Are you always there for your friends?

Who was the last person to see you cry?

Do you like people in general?

What do you do when you get nervous?

How old you think you’ll be when you finally have kids?

Do you have a reason to smile right now?

Does it matter to you that your significant other smokes?

Do you tell your mom and dad everything?

How many hours do you sleep at night?

What was the last thing you drank?

What size bed do you have?

Do you start the water before you get in the shower or when you get in?

Do you think someone is thinking about you right now?

What is the last movie you saw in theaters and with whom?

Do you regret a past relationship?

Would you rather spend a Friday night at a concert or crazy party?

Have you bought any clothing items in the last week?

Do you miss anyone?

What are you doing tomorrow?

Is there anyone you want to come see you?

Who was the last person you had a serious conversation with?

Do you have siblings? How many?

Do you have a friend of the opposite sex you can talk with?

Anything happen in the past month that made you really happy?

What are your plans for the weekend?”

Now this may seem like a simple and completely innocent quiz, but I ask once again, why do these questions seem familiar? Why are these surveys a concern to be wary of? What could someone really do with my answers?

Maybe I’m just paranoid, but I also live by the tried and tested “better safe than sorry” approach to security. The bad actors of the digital world are more active than they have ever been and need you to make only one small mistake to pry the door open and gain access to your digital life.

If I know your name and have access to your Facebook profile (side note: I implore you to stop having a public Facebook profile!) then I probably will have enough information to reset a password to at least one of your online accounts. That could be Netflix, could be a security camera (see Nest), or could be your bank account or credit institution. There are countless ways a person could gain access to an account of yours that has personal/financial information within it. You wouldn’t let a stranger in there though, so why do you provide them with access to your personal info on social media?

Ultimately, I ask you to please stop having a public profile on not only Facebook, but also all social media in general. It is a best practice to stop sharing personal information any place in which a large amount of people can have access to said information. While it is a fun exercise it will only add risk to you and your online life! The less the internet knows about you the better off you will be.

So, what should you do instead with all this new-found free time on social media? Another philosophy I live by when online is….when in doubt…post memes!

]]>https://www.vipre.com/blog/facebook-copy-paste-quizzes-fun-folly/feed/0Social Security Robocall Making the Roundshttps://www.vipre.com/blog/social-security-robocall-scam/
https://www.vipre.com/blog/social-security-robocall-scam/#respondTue, 12 Feb 2019 16:30:49 +0000http://www.vipre.com/?p=4033Robocall Scam Today, I’d like to take a quick moment talk about a robocall scam. Recently, one of our VIPRE employees got a handful of persistent voicemails that attempted to persuade him into giving up his social security number. The scammer’s robocall persisted a few times per day for almost a week. Per the OIG, […]

Today, I’d like to take a quick moment talk about a robocall scam. Recently, one of our VIPRE employees got a handful of persistent voicemails that attempted to persuade him into giving up his social security number. The scammer’s robocall persisted a few times per day for almost a week. Per the OIG, similar scams have been on the rise since mid-July last year.

So, if you were to get a call or voicemail like the following, please know that it is not legitimate:

“If you want to know about this case just press 1, thank you. This call is from the department of Social Security Administration. The reason you have received this phone call from our department is to inform you that we have just suspended your social security number because we found some suspicious activity. So, if you want to know about this case just press 1, thank you.”

Stay Safe from Robocall Scams

Never give out or confirm personal information over the phone, via email or on a website until you’ve checked out whoever is asking you for it.

Do not trust a name, phone number, or email address just because it seems to be connected with the government. Con artists use official-sounding names and may fake caller ID or email address information to make you trust them. Besides, the government normally contacts people by postal mail.

Contact government agencies directly, using telephone numbers and website addresses you know to be legitimate.

And, of course if someone has tried to steal your personal information by pretending to be from the government, report it to the FTC or the OIG.

Looking into the Future

One of the most interesting developments in the war of robots vs. robots is coming from Google. The Pixel’s new Google Assistant offers a few ways to handle robocalls such as automatically taking notes on a conversation or asking to be placed on a do not call list. If you don’t feel like picking up a new mobile phone, Forbes has a list of various methods that can be used to handle spam calls.

It is always good practice to be aware of both new and old scams. Take some time to review some of these older scams in case they make a resurgence in 2019:

]]>https://www.vipre.com/blog/social-security-robocall-scam/feed/0Mac Malware on the Rise: Your Mac Just isn’t Securehttps://www.vipre.com/blog/mac-malware-cybersecurity/
https://www.vipre.com/blog/mac-malware-cybersecurity/#respondThu, 17 Jan 2019 19:34:27 +0000http://www.vipre.com/?p=3998We need to have a conversation about Macs. I’ve been a long-time fan of Mac. In fact, my first personal Mac was a Power Mac G5 and I absolutely loved that device. So much so that when I had to evacuate my home due to a hurricane…I brought it with me! Yeah, it was like […]

]]>We need to have a conversation about Macs. I’ve been a long-time fan of Mac. In fact, my first personal Mac was a Power Mac G5 and I absolutely loved that device. So much so that when I had to evacuate my home due to a hurricane…I brought it with me! Yeah, it was like that. Some call it the greatest love story ever told.

With my love of the Mac in mind, I feel that the time has come to discuss the state of Macs today and some of the preconceived notions around their security and security needs. Specifically, I want to discuss malware-related security, for Mac devices.

“Macs are Completely Safe, I’ll Never be Attacked”

One thing I’ve heard throughout the years and continue to hear today is that Macs are safe. My response to this is, “How do you define safe?”. Sure, they are safer from malware than Windows devices but that is only a numbers game, there are exponentially more Windows devices in the world than there are Mac. This disparity creates a false sense of security which is where this fake perception starts.

The first important point in understanding this perception is to let yourself think like a criminal. Why attack Macs when there are so many unsecured, unpatched, easy to infect/hack Windows devices waiting? Easy targets get hit for a good reason and for a very long time it just wasn’t worth paying close attention to the Mac side of the computer industry. The low hanging fruit that existed on the Windows side kept the bills paid and criminals happy. There was simply no need to reinvent the wheel. Taking a look at the number of Macs shipped globally from 2002-2018, you can start to see this scenario change quite a bit in the chart below.

Source: Wired 2018

As Mac devices took more of the market share it was only a matter of time before the bad actors of the world started targeting those devices. The increased number combined with the preconceived notion that Macs are safe gives you a disaster just waiting to happen.

Fruit Ripe for the Taking

Not convinced? Let’s go back to our criminal mindset once again. You now have a larger number of people that are purchasing Macs. The market is beginning to make the reward for criminals worth the risk. What else do these large number of people have in common? Most likely they have the belief that their devices are safe and use them each day without endpoint security software. The fruit is suddenly now lower. Still not convinced? Just look at these three recent headlines. (Feel free to click each headline and read the full story)

We are not just talking talking about minor annoyances, we are talking about full-fledged malware that can be extremely damaging to the person and/or business infected.

I feel it would be appropriate to examine in-depth one of the more harmful pieces of Mac malware that currently exists, OSX.Calisto. This malware is a Trojan originally detected by Symantec researchers in July. It was first uploaded to VirusTotal in 2016 but sat dormant for two years before being put in to use. This may have you thinking, “OK, so there is Mac malware, but what does it actually do?”. I am so very glad you thought that!

This piece of malware enables remote login, enables screen sharing, adds permissions for a bad actor, adds remote login capabilities for all users, and adds its own user account to your Mac. It essentially gives the malicious actor full control over your Mac device and access to the entirety of your data.

What could a criminal could do with your data? They could find a myriad of items including personal documents, tax files, photos, instant messages, your browsing history, access to websites with saved passwords (NEVER save bank passwords in your browser by the way) or anything else that may be stored on your Mac. OSX.Calisto can upload files such as your password keychain and cookies then download new malware to your device, so it can further infect it or spread throughout your network to possibly attack other devices, including Windows ones!

OSX.Calisto isn’t the only known malware for Mac, but it is definitely a scary start. As global Mac sales continue to catch up to Windows devices you should expect more articles around Mac malware and the related breaches. Don’t get caught off-guard or attempt damage control after an attack. Know that Macs are no longer the “safe” devices they once were and protect yourself before the damage is done.

]]>https://www.vipre.com/blog/mac-malware-cybersecurity/feed/0The Year in Review Part: 2https://www.vipre.com/blog/the-year-in-review-part-2/
https://www.vipre.com/blog/the-year-in-review-part-2/#respondThu, 27 Dec 2018 14:39:08 +0000http://www.vipre.com/?p=3977Continuing the list from part 1, VIPRE is taking the time to look back over the past year. These are the top 5 blog posts that grabbed interest. We’re also going to follow-up a little bit on where some of these stories went. #5 Protect Yourself: 7 Cybersecurity Predictions for 2018 Take a look […]

]]>Continuing the list from part 1, VIPRE is taking the time to look back over the past year. These are the top 5 blog posts that grabbed interest. We’re also going to follow-up a little bit on where some of these stories went.

Take a look at what VIPRE expected to see in 2018. Most of the predictions were accurate. However, a few of the attack vectors we anticipated didn’t get hit as hard as we had expected. Fingers crossed, they won’t.

When allegations against Kaspersky first arose, there was a question of what repercussions there would be. Eventually the software was banned by the US Federal Government. Best Buy and Office Depot stopped selling the products. The company is now attempting to restore trust.

We’ve spent the past few years focusing on passing the tests to prove what we already know. VIPRE continues to provide top-tier security for our customers. It’s humbling to know that people are so invested in VIPRE Security. We’re so grateful to everyone who has been with us from the Sunbelt days to GFI, ThreatTrack, and beyond.

Some established security vendors allowed Russian authorities to review their code, thus making a potential security risk to their customers. Symantec, for its part, later told cnet that they believed the reviews would not negatively impact security.

The number one blog post was a blunder from the search giant. Many scams and phishing attempts scare people into handing over security information. Unfortunately, Google designed an alert that looked a lot like the type of scare tactics used by hackers. Later in the year Google brought security alerts to G Suite. It seems like a lesson was learned since those alerts are a little tamer.

]]>https://www.vipre.com/blog/the-year-in-review-part-2/feed/05 Ways Hackers Can Steal Your Identity Onlinehttps://www.vipre.com/blog/4-ways-hackers-steal-identity-online/
https://www.vipre.com/blog/4-ways-hackers-steal-identity-online/#respondThu, 20 Dec 2018 14:43:47 +0000http://www.vipre.com/?p=3973The holiday season is one of the busiest times of year for cybercriminals. Malicious actors will attempt to steal personal information and more as ecommerce traffic along with time spent on devices increases. This information can be anything ranging from social security and bank account numbers to login credentials and information that will help these […]

]]>The holiday season is one of the busiest times of year for cybercriminals. Malicious actors will attempt to steal personal information and more as ecommerce traffic along with time spent on devices increases. This information can be anything ranging from social security and bank account numbers to login credentials and information that will help these cybercriminals possibly assume your identity and wreak havoc in your life. However, as consumer education catches up to traditional information theft tactics, hackers are becoming more creative in the methods they use to steal your personal identification information.

What are some of these new and inventive ways by which hackers steal identities? What can you do to prevent malicious actors from taking your information? Keep reading to find out!

Browsers have made it easier and easier to browse and utilize the internet. With the explosive increase of so many cloud-based applications requiring login credentials. We have begun to either utilize the same username and password for everything (which is a security risk unto itself) or we save our information within the browser’s password saving features.

Malicious actors have created various strains of malware to harvest that saved data from browsers such as Google Chrome or Firefox. These malicious programs can easily be dropped on your computer via targeted phishing attacks and will focus on stealing save credentials, payment information, profiles, and cookies.

2) Search Your Computer for Saved Documents with Personal Info

In addition to searching your browsers for login credentials, many of the same malware will also search your device and computer for documents that may contain sensitive information. These documents can range from bank statements to credit card applications and more.

A recent malware called Vega Stealer will also take a screenshot of the machine it infects and search the entire systems for any files on the system ending in .doc, .docx, .txt, .rtf, .xls, .xlsx, or .pdf for exfiltration to another system. This malware can easily be delivered via macro in an attached document.

3) Learning About You via Your Computer’s Webcam and Microphone

In one of the most recent articles posted on the VIPRE Security Blog we ask, “Who is Watching You?”. In the article you’ll learn about how many hackers will utilize your webcam and microphone to snoop on you for either personal information or to extort your personal moments for monetary reasons.

They will implement this attack using a combination of a Trojan virus and a Remote Access Tool (RAT). The Trojan will install the tool for nefarious purposes. Even if they don’t gain access to download their own Remote Access Tools some cybercriminals can utilize the RATs from other legitimate downloads for their own uses.

4) Wi-Fi Traffic Monitoring Attacks

How often do you connect to a public Wi-Fi network and log into your own personal accounts? Your password could’ve already been stolen then. Wi-Fi traffic monitoring is a common attack where a hacker uses a simple application that can easily be downloaded from the internet for free to watch all traffic on a public Wi-Fi network. Once you enter your username and password, the software notifies them, and the hacker intercepts the information. Simple as that – they now have your username and password for that site. It then only takes them a few more minutes to use a program that can run stolen credentials through tens of thousands of sites until one hits. Many users use the same login information for all their profiles. Pretty soon, that malicious actor has access to a whole swath of your information.

5) Key Logger Attacks

The fourth and final way that hackers can steal your info that we will detail is key logging attacks. This mostly occurs when you receive a dodgy phishing email, click it, and then click the attachment on said email. Without you even knowing a malicious JavaScript is injected into your browser. Then every detail you type, including login credentials, are recorded and sent to the cybercriminal.

How Do I Protect My Identity from Hackers?

We at VIPRE feel there are two essential ways to protect you and your device from possible identity and personal information theft attacks. First, educate yourself and keep up to date on the latest ways cybercriminals are attempting to penetrate your systems. Second, purchase and implement software designed to protect your identity and ensure privacy online like VIPRE Identity Shield.

VIPRE Identity Shield works to secure information on your PC, ensures privacy online, and blocks webcam/microphone snooping. Want to learn more about this product’s features? Click here to learn more today!

]]>https://www.vipre.com/blog/4-ways-hackers-steal-identity-online/feed/0The Year in Review Part: 1https://www.vipre.com/blog/the-year-in-review-part-1/
https://www.vipre.com/blog/the-year-in-review-part-1/#respondWed, 19 Dec 2018 16:50:56 +0000http://www.vipre.com/?p=3972As 2018 comes to an end, it has become a tradition for many companies to look back on the year. We here at VIPRE believe that it is always a great exercise to see what the past year brought as we prepare for the new year. That’s why we’ve assembled a summary of the ten […]

]]>As 2018 comes to an end, it has become a tradition for many companies to look back on the year. We here at VIPRE believe that it is always a great exercise to see what the past year brought as we prepare for the new year. That’s why we’ve assembled a summary of the ten most popular blog posts over the past year. Grab a warm blanket, some hot cocoa, and take a read through of what has happened in the world of cyber security this year. We are also following up and providing updates on some of these stories and their ramifications. Here are the first five most popular blog posts from VIPRE in the year 2018.

This is some good news that didn’t get much attention. While Microsoft has made some progress, it’s possible that this intention was executed with the Windows 10 S Operating System (and S Mode coming next year).

Meltdown and Spectre were some legitimately scary security exploits. Microsoft responded quickly with a patch. However, it rendered many antivirus products incompatible. VIPRE, however, was compatible. You can get more info on Meltdown and Spectre here. It is still a potential to systems that aren’t current since there were 7 new attacks discovered in November.

It isn’t a big piece of some in depth security puzzle. Teaming up with J2 Global has allowed VIPRE to continue to grow and develop. If you haven’t heard, we’ve got a Mac product for Home customers coming along nicely.

For something fun, we thought we’d share with you our 5 ‘must see’ cybersecurity themed shows and movies. Of course, we later had to follow that up with Hollywood’s Worst Hackers (this one was controversial in the office. Not everyone agreed that all of these were bad!). Feel free to let @VIPRESecurity know how you feel about these two blog posts.

]]>https://www.vipre.com/blog/the-year-in-review-part-1/feed/0Who is Watching You?https://www.vipre.com/blog/who-is-watching-you/
https://www.vipre.com/blog/who-is-watching-you/#respondTue, 18 Dec 2018 15:10:39 +0000http://www.vipre.com/?p=3965Mark Zuckerberg and former FBI Director James Comey have more than just the fact that they have both testified before congress in common. They also share a similar trait in that they both cover their webcam with pieces of tape. Ever since Edward Snowden leaked information about the how the NSA spies on individuals, there […]

]]>Mark Zuckerberg and former FBI Director James Comey have more than just the fact that they have both testified before congress in common. They also share a similar trait in that they both cover their webcam with pieces of tape.

Ever since Edward Snowden leaked information about the how the NSA spies on individuals, there have been increased levels of awareness regarding how technology can be used to record individuals. This really is just the tip of the iceberg. According to Wired: “…it’s not just the NSA who can hijack your webcam and mic. Cybercriminals, sextortionists, law enforcement, and even school districts have all been doing this kind of spying for a number of years.” The obvious question is then, “How does someone’s webcam get hacked?”

One of the most common attack trajectories is a Trojan and remote access tool (RAT) combination. The Trojan will install the tool so it can be used for nefarious purposes. However, there’s another route that people should consider. Free software can often come bundled with other tools and legitimate remote access tools bundled with other legitimate software can give hackers the means to take over webcams and microphones.

While you can proceed down the low-tech route like Zuckerberg and Comey, there are other even more effective alternatives. Wired also offers a great guide on how you can lock down which websites have access to your computer. In this guide they detail strategies that scammers will use to extort money from you and make you feel threatened. For example, some scammers will say that they have access to your webcam when they do not. They may have information about you that was exposed in a previous hack to make you think that they have more than they do. It’s such an effective bluff that the FBI issued an alert about it in August.

We have found though that the most effective alternative would be to use privacy software specifically designed to counteract these malicious attempts. These applications focus on shutting down malicious attempts to spy on people. We whole-heartedly recommend VIPRE Identity Shield to protect you and your loved ones from cybercriminals and other mischievous actors. VIPRE Identity shield features a plethora of privacy options which includes a Webcam & Microphone Blocker. Learn more today!

]]>https://www.vipre.com/blog/who-is-watching-you/feed/0U.S. Secret Service Warns Banks About New Debit Card Scamhttps://www.vipre.com/blog/u-s-secret-service-warns-banks-about-new-debit-card-scam/
https://www.vipre.com/blog/u-s-secret-service-warns-banks-about-new-debit-card-scam/#respondWed, 11 Apr 2018 14:46:24 +0000http://www.vipre.com/?p=3421The Secret Service issued an alert to financial institutions last month, warning them about a scam targeting new debit cards mailed to businesses, notes a story from security expert Brian Krebs. In the scam, the crooks intercept the cards in the mail, replace the new chips with old ones, and then mail the letters to the […]

]]>The Secret Service issued an alert to financial institutions last month, warning them about a scam targeting new debit cards mailed to businesses, notes a story from security expert Brian Krebs.

In the scam, the crooks intercept the cards in the mail, replace the new chips with old ones, and then mail the letters to the intended recipients. Once business users activate the modified cards, thieves can start draining the accounts. Signs of a card with an old or invalid chip include heat damage around the chip or on the card, or a small hole in the plastic used to pry the chip off the card.

The Secret Service alert did not detail when or where the cards are being stolen and tampered with. Krebs suggested that the thieves could be employees of the U.S. Postal Service or another delivery provider, or are individuals who gain access to company mailboxes.

Citing the U.S. Secret Services’ alert to banks, Krebs wrote that the entire scheme goes as follows:

Criminals intercept mail sent from a financial institution to large corporations that contain payment cards, targeting debit payment cards with access to large amount of funds.

The crooks remove the chip from the debit payment card using a heat source that warms the glue.

Criminals replace the chip with an old or invalid chip and repackage the payment card for delivery.

Criminals place the stolen chip into an old payment card.

The corporation receives the debit payment card without realizing the chip has been replaced.

The corporate office activates the debit payment card; however, their payment card is inoperable thanks to the old chip.

Criminals use the payment card with the stolen chip for their personal gain once the corporate office activates the card.

To find out how to protect your credit card and debit card information, visit this old VIPRE blog post.

]]>https://www.vipre.com/blog/u-s-secret-service-warns-banks-about-new-debit-card-scam/feed/0Is Android Security Safe Enough?https://www.vipre.com/blog/android-security-safe-enough/
https://www.vipre.com/blog/android-security-safe-enough/#respondThu, 22 Mar 2018 17:55:41 +0000https://www.vipre.com/?p=3328New Google Report Reveals That Android Security Is State-of-the-Art on New Phones But Still Weak On Older Devices Google’s annual report on Android security is great news for users of the latest Android 8 or Oreo phones but, not too surprisingly, a cold, wet blanket for people with older devices. The Oreo platform is very […]

]]>New Google Report Reveals That Android Security Is State-of-the-Art on New Phones But Still Weak On Older Devices

Google’s annual report on Android security is great news for users of the latest Android 8 or Oreo phones but, not too surprisingly, a cold, wet blanket for people with older devices. The Oreo platform is very secure, featuring strong encryption, tighter sandboxing, kernel self-protection, and an updated version of Android Verified Boot.

However, only about 1 percent of Android users run Oreo on their phones, compared to nearly 28 percent each on Nougat and Marshmallow. That means nearly 99 percent of Android phones are not as secure as they could be.

Still, Google has upped its security game, and continues to do so each year. Last year, for example, Google updated its digital storefront with Google Play Protect, which protects phones, data, and apps with built-in security scanning technology.

Featuring a background process turned on by default, the technology runs a safety check on apps before they are downloaded from the Play Store and warns users about any potentially harmful ones. Google Play Protect is available for phones going back to Lollipop.

Google claims that Google Play Protect is the most widely deployed mobile threat protection service in the world and is used on more than 2 billion phones.

How to Protect Your Old Android device:

1. Take care when you install apps

The best ways to install Android apps is via official stores, such as Google Play Store or Amazon’s Appstore because of their built-in security apparatus. A plethora of dubious third-party Android apps are available through other sources. If anything on a third-party site raises a red flag or simply makes you uncomfortable, just stop what you’re doing.

2. Be ready for phishing

Security on Android isn’t just about the apps you install on your phone or tablet. As with any device, Android or otherwise, you must be prepared for phishing from sites that try to get you to enter personal data and/or credit card details.

3. Don’t ignore lock screen security

Make sure your device’s lock screen settings are in order, so that if your device gets stolen, a thief can’t access your apps and data. While Google’s default settings are very good, you might want to consider using some third-party apps that take interesting approaches to unlocking the phone. Picture Password Lockscreen, for example, forces a user to unlock a phone by drawing points, lines and circles on an image.

4. Install antivirus software

To ensure maximum safety for your Android device and everything on it, you should install antivirus software such as VIPRE Antivirus. This award-winning software combines powerful antivirus and anti-spyware technologies with other advanced security features, including automated patching of vulnerable software programs, a firewall to stop malicious web traffic, an anti-spam filter, bad website blocker, and more — all without slowing down your machine.

While no one may ever be completely invincible to threats, on an Android device or any other, these four tips will help you stay safe as you navigate the mobile web.

]]>Tesla, which designs and makes electric cars, has become the latest target of hackers attempting to “mine” cryptocurrencies, reports RedLock, a cloud security company.

RedLock notes that hackers gained access to Tesla computer resources to carry out so-called cryptojacking, by which computers are hijacked to mine cryptocurrencies. The ‘miners’ use the hijacked resources to verify transactions involving cryptocurrenies, such as bitcoin.

RedLock notes that thieves performed cryptojacking using Tesla’s cloud compute resources and employed specific techniques to evade detection. For example, instead of the more familiar public ‘mining pool,’ they installed mining pool software and configured the malicious script to connect to an ‘unlisted’ endpoint.

By stealing computer resources, hackers avoid the energy costs of powering the systems that are doing the mining work.

Tesla told Fox News that hackers only gained access to a limited amount of data.

“We maintain a bug bounty program to encourage this type of research, and we addressed this vulnerability within hours of learning about it,” explained Tesla, in a statement emailed to Fox News. “The impact seems to be limited to internally-used engineering test cars only, and our initial investigation found no indication that customer privacy or vehicle safety or security was compromised in any way.”

Cryptojacking seems to be constantly in the news. Earlier in February, TechCrunch reported that thousands of UK websites were possibly mined by hackers.